Well, when October 7th came around, I wasn't expecting to hear any news ... after all, the results were not supposed to come out until the 8th. Low and behold they came out early, and on the morning of the 7th I got a text message from a friend letting me know the good news. Yes, that is absolutely correct, after all that crap I had to go through, the end result was worth it. I PASSED.
The essays were my savior when it came down to it, and if you've been following this blog, you know what my feelings were about the MBE. Those feelings have not changed.
I was sworn in on October 25th, and I got my attorney registration card in the mail this week. The swearing in ceremony was pretty cool and in hindsight I am glad that I decided to attend.
I have to say that I am pleased the process is done and over with - and I never want to go through it again. But, for those of you out there that are considering going to law school or taking the bar ... just remember, people pass this thing all the time.
Thursday, November 11, 2010
Thursday, July 29, 2010
Professionalism Course
Well, yeah, another requirement before you can be sworn in is the professionalism course. $100 through the CBA and you get to sit through several hours of lecturing regarding the ethics of Colorado. Granted, I was not happy about having to sit through this class, especially since the MPRE is required ... but I do have to say, when it was all said and done with, I'm glad that it was a requirement. Colorado has some interesting rules and the speakers make it as interesting as possible - and given the subject matter that can be a difficult task, especially considering most of the attendees just finished with the bar exam and were in zombie mode during the entire presentation ... myself included.
The course covered everything from the attorney/client relationship to private conduct and the ins and outs of law practice management.
The price is steep, but what can you do? You have to do it to be a licensed attorney in the state.
The course covered everything from the attorney/client relationship to private conduct and the ins and outs of law practice management.
The price is steep, but what can you do? You have to do it to be a licensed attorney in the state.
Exam Day Two
Well, Wednesday was the MBE - the hell of exams and my hand hated me after it was all over and done with. Because mechanical pencils were not allowed, wooden pencils were the instrument of choice, and the grips on wood - well, it is nonexistent and sucks. My hand was ready to fall off at the end day two. Also the pencil sharpeners that are left around the room, well, they're electric. So in the middle of a question you will suddenly hear the whirring sound as someone sharpens what's left of their lead instrument. Irritating, yes. Avoidable, not really. Ear plugs work wonders.
The day started out a little better because there were no laptops to wait for - everyone was in the same boat. When you are working on practice exams for the MBE, time seems to take forever, but once you are in that room and the proctor tells you to begin the next thing you know they are telling you that five minutes remain.
Can't really say anything about the exam other than - wow, it can really kick your ass - but when it is all done, time is called and the materials are picked up ... it is a great feeling to know that you made it through in one piece.
The process is a long one, and hopefully most of the people that took the test will find out that they passed. Then all you have to do is get the professionalism course out of the way and you are set. Oh, btw the professionalism course is offered the day after the bar exam and I do have to say I signed up for it right away to knock everything out in a single blow.
Advice - grippers for the pencils. Make sure they are sharp and breathe.
The day started out a little better because there were no laptops to wait for - everyone was in the same boat. When you are working on practice exams for the MBE, time seems to take forever, but once you are in that room and the proctor tells you to begin the next thing you know they are telling you that five minutes remain.
Can't really say anything about the exam other than - wow, it can really kick your ass - but when it is all done, time is called and the materials are picked up ... it is a great feeling to know that you made it through in one piece.
The process is a long one, and hopefully most of the people that took the test will find out that they passed. Then all you have to do is get the professionalism course out of the way and you are set. Oh, btw the professionalism course is offered the day after the bar exam and I do have to say I signed up for it right away to knock everything out in a single blow.
Advice - grippers for the pencils. Make sure they are sharp and breathe.
Exam Day One
On Tuesday, the MEE portion of the exam, the day started early and ended rather late. It took forever to get into the building because all the laptop users had to go in first, and at the end of the day it took forever to be released because of the sheer number of laptop users. There were orange "distress" flags popping up at the end of the exam as people couldn't get their USB backups to work - glad I decided to write. In hindsight it did make things a lot easier (the graders may feel differently about that).
The proctors were quite strict about what could be brought into the exam room - so for the sake of making things easy on yourself, follow the directions and don't bring something in that the instructions explicitly tell you to leave at home.
When it came time to actually open the test and get started I dove right in. Trying to get your mind to work can be a challenge, but all you can really do is rely on what you did to prepare and hope that, in the end, it's enough.
At the end of the day, I thought I would be a nervous wreck. Normally when exams come around, my stomach starts doing hula hoops around my knees, but for this, it didn't happen. I was calm when the morning session was done, and again when we left for the day. Very odd for me - and I don't know if it's a good thing or a bad thing. Only time will tell.
As far as the actual writing went, my hand cramped up more times than I care to count. If I was ambidextrous, my hand would've thanked me ... but I can't even hold a spoon in my other hand let around write legibly with it ... heck, I don't even know if my writing was legible with my writing hand. Some of my writing was rushed and I had to go back through and cross out words and print them out because I knew there was no way anyone could actually read my words. I just hope the rest isn't as bad ... it's my own writing, so I can generally make it out ... just have to wait and see. On a side note, the pens with the nice rubberized grips work quite well at attempting to help with the hand cramping. If I were using any other pen without those grips, I think I would've lost a few digits. My hand also got very sweaty, something that I wish I could've prevented. Nerves working their way through - and it did make holding onto the pen rather interesting during the last parts of each session.
Some of the essays took a short time, others longer and the MPT - well I guess it depends on how well you planned it out before putting pen to paper. I think that I may have rushed things - as evidenced by the fact that I finished 40 minutes early on both the morning and afternoon sessions. There is nothing more unnerving than being done and having to sit for the remainder of the exam while everyone else is still writing and there is nothing more that you can think to even add to your responses. Will it hold up - well, I guess we'll find out in October.
Advice - don't stress out about it. It will make the day miserable for you - just go in there knowing that you are as prepared as you are going to be for the test on that day. And when you are done, leave it in the room. Don't take it home, don't dwell on what you could've done differently because there is NOTHING that you can do about it. Will I change my mind if I have to retake it, probably not. I don't wish having to do this more than once on anyone, but you know what - sometimes shit happens and you just have to deal with it.
Now, if only you could bring in personal cooling devices, that would be something.
The proctors were quite strict about what could be brought into the exam room - so for the sake of making things easy on yourself, follow the directions and don't bring something in that the instructions explicitly tell you to leave at home.
When it came time to actually open the test and get started I dove right in. Trying to get your mind to work can be a challenge, but all you can really do is rely on what you did to prepare and hope that, in the end, it's enough.
At the end of the day, I thought I would be a nervous wreck. Normally when exams come around, my stomach starts doing hula hoops around my knees, but for this, it didn't happen. I was calm when the morning session was done, and again when we left for the day. Very odd for me - and I don't know if it's a good thing or a bad thing. Only time will tell.
As far as the actual writing went, my hand cramped up more times than I care to count. If I was ambidextrous, my hand would've thanked me ... but I can't even hold a spoon in my other hand let around write legibly with it ... heck, I don't even know if my writing was legible with my writing hand. Some of my writing was rushed and I had to go back through and cross out words and print them out because I knew there was no way anyone could actually read my words. I just hope the rest isn't as bad ... it's my own writing, so I can generally make it out ... just have to wait and see. On a side note, the pens with the nice rubberized grips work quite well at attempting to help with the hand cramping. If I were using any other pen without those grips, I think I would've lost a few digits. My hand also got very sweaty, something that I wish I could've prevented. Nerves working their way through - and it did make holding onto the pen rather interesting during the last parts of each session.
Some of the essays took a short time, others longer and the MPT - well I guess it depends on how well you planned it out before putting pen to paper. I think that I may have rushed things - as evidenced by the fact that I finished 40 minutes early on both the morning and afternoon sessions. There is nothing more unnerving than being done and having to sit for the remainder of the exam while everyone else is still writing and there is nothing more that you can think to even add to your responses. Will it hold up - well, I guess we'll find out in October.
Advice - don't stress out about it. It will make the day miserable for you - just go in there knowing that you are as prepared as you are going to be for the test on that day. And when you are done, leave it in the room. Don't take it home, don't dwell on what you could've done differently because there is NOTHING that you can do about it. Will I change my mind if I have to retake it, probably not. I don't wish having to do this more than once on anyone, but you know what - sometimes shit happens and you just have to deal with it.
Now, if only you could bring in personal cooling devices, that would be something.
The eve of the exam
Well, on Monday night I had a hard time sleeping. I was nervous about the MEE on Tuesday and my ability to make it through. I think I wanted to take a nap, which ended screwing things up for me in terms of actual sleep. It wasn't until around 2am that I actually went to bed - and when I was up at 5 it didn't make for a very pleasant or restful experience.
I do have to admit though, on Monday, while I wanted to be able to review some materials, I just couldn't concentrate. There were roofers working on my building and all I could hear was the banging of the hammers. I gave up around 1:30 and decided to go to a movie to try and get my mind off of things. It worked - at least temporarily. But then, by the time I got back home I was tired so a short nap turned into several hours, and my hopes of review ended in the parking lot of the exam location at 6:30 in the morning.
Cue anxiety.
I do have to admit though, on Monday, while I wanted to be able to review some materials, I just couldn't concentrate. There were roofers working on my building and all I could hear was the banging of the hammers. I gave up around 1:30 and decided to go to a movie to try and get my mind off of things. It worked - at least temporarily. But then, by the time I got back home I was tired so a short nap turned into several hours, and my hopes of review ended in the parking lot of the exam location at 6:30 in the morning.
Cue anxiety.
Wednesday, July 21, 2010
Final MBE preparations
Today and tomorrow are my final MBE preparation days, with Friday - Sunday set aside for essay review. Monday I am going to attempt to take off, as they recommend and just suffer the reality that Tuesday is the day.
As I've been reviewing MBE materials I am finding that I keep getting caught up on stupid mistakes - namely reading comprehension errors because I am trying to get through the material too quickly. I have a few more practice exams to go, and I am going to try and focus on really reading each problem before doing what I seem to always do and just jump down to the answers.
The final MBE review lectures that were in my bar course were extremely helpful - they really pointed out the nuanced points of law that are easy to overlook. Hopefully with all of that fresh in my mind, the next few practice exams will be alright. I'm worried about the essays at this point because two of the subjects for the essays are giving me a really hard time - and I need to get that law down pat. Memorization has been a process - there is only so much information that my head can absorb. I am taking the bar in a MEE, MBE, MPT jurisdiction so I don't have to worry about the state law and I really feel for a lot of my friends that are taking the exams in jurisdictions that have state laws for the essays and the MBE - that is two completely different sets of rules to learn and if I were in their shoes I don't know how I'd be able to get it all crammed in there.
The bar prep classes have reiterated since day one that this is a marathon and a cramming session just won't cut it - but you know what, sometimes cramming the hard to swallow information works. I may eat my own words in a few months, but for now, I am memorizing what I can - and what won't stick - we'll just have to cram it on in there. It can ooze out the day after the exam, I just need it to get through that first day.
As I've been reviewing MBE materials I am finding that I keep getting caught up on stupid mistakes - namely reading comprehension errors because I am trying to get through the material too quickly. I have a few more practice exams to go, and I am going to try and focus on really reading each problem before doing what I seem to always do and just jump down to the answers.
The final MBE review lectures that were in my bar course were extremely helpful - they really pointed out the nuanced points of law that are easy to overlook. Hopefully with all of that fresh in my mind, the next few practice exams will be alright. I'm worried about the essays at this point because two of the subjects for the essays are giving me a really hard time - and I need to get that law down pat. Memorization has been a process - there is only so much information that my head can absorb. I am taking the bar in a MEE, MBE, MPT jurisdiction so I don't have to worry about the state law and I really feel for a lot of my friends that are taking the exams in jurisdictions that have state laws for the essays and the MBE - that is two completely different sets of rules to learn and if I were in their shoes I don't know how I'd be able to get it all crammed in there.
The bar prep classes have reiterated since day one that this is a marathon and a cramming session just won't cut it - but you know what, sometimes cramming the hard to swallow information works. I may eat my own words in a few months, but for now, I am memorizing what I can - and what won't stick - we'll just have to cram it on in there. It can ooze out the day after the exam, I just need it to get through that first day.
Monday, July 19, 2010
A week to go
Now in the final week of bar preparation, the stress level I'm experiencing is starting to go through the roof. I lost Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday in a blur of review. I can't distinguish one day from another - not a good sign.
Right now I am re-listening to some lectures that have given me a very difficult time, and with only a week to go I am really starting to think I'm not going to get it before the big day next week.
I've started to see the bar jokes floating around in email from friends and classmates that are also getting ready for this lovely mess, and the jokes to anyone who is not studying for the bar would make absolutely no sense ... but for those of us engrossed in everything UPC, UCC, MBCA, RUPA - you get the picture - the words are hilarious. Property seems to be the butt of all jokes bar related because so many problems could simply be avoided by common sense, yet that seems to be in short supply through the fact patterns.
All you can really hope for is that when your time comes to go through this, you have a sense of humor when it gets down to the wire because without that lovely sense of humor I think most of us would be insane by the time the exam actually comes to fruition.
Right now I am re-listening to some lectures that have given me a very difficult time, and with only a week to go I am really starting to think I'm not going to get it before the big day next week.
I've started to see the bar jokes floating around in email from friends and classmates that are also getting ready for this lovely mess, and the jokes to anyone who is not studying for the bar would make absolutely no sense ... but for those of us engrossed in everything UPC, UCC, MBCA, RUPA - you get the picture - the words are hilarious. Property seems to be the butt of all jokes bar related because so many problems could simply be avoided by common sense, yet that seems to be in short supply through the fact patterns.
All you can really hope for is that when your time comes to go through this, you have a sense of humor when it gets down to the wire because without that lovely sense of humor I think most of us would be insane by the time the exam actually comes to fruition.
Friday, July 9, 2010
The admission ticket has arrived
Well, it's official - the admission ticket has arrived. I know my seat number and something that appeared to be a far-off dream is suddenly a glass-breaking reality. I also got the "what you can and can't do" list for the bar - and wow aren't they particular. What really surprised me on the list is the fact that I can't use a mechanical pencil, and since that is all I own I have to go out and find myself some natural pencils. What is the big deal about mechanical pencils? They don't make noise, they are always sharp and I find it rather odd that you can't use one during this exam when you can use them for every other standardized test along the way. At least I can wear ear plugs and don't have to wear a suit unlike some other jurisdictions.
I went through the list of do's and don'ts, figured out where the exam is actually taking place and put in my rental car reservation so it would appear that I am ready in that sense for the big day(s). I also signed up for the professionalism course that is required within this state - and am sitting in that the day after the bar exam is done and over with.
On the studying front - today I finished up the remainder of my lectures and now just have a ton of other work that I need to get under my belt. Whether or not I will get it finished and be ready for the big day - that remains to be seen.
I went through the list of do's and don'ts, figured out where the exam is actually taking place and put in my rental car reservation so it would appear that I am ready in that sense for the big day(s). I also signed up for the professionalism course that is required within this state - and am sitting in that the day after the bar exam is done and over with.
On the studying front - today I finished up the remainder of my lectures and now just have a ton of other work that I need to get under my belt. Whether or not I will get it finished and be ready for the big day - that remains to be seen.
Tuesday, July 6, 2010
The wall
You always hear about how marathon runners hit "the wall" about 20-23 miles into the race, and it is also a phenomenon that appears to hit bar takers. With three weeks to go before the exam, I've hit "the wall" ...
With a "Bones" marathon underway, the last four days spent doing nothing but watching "Bones," I realize that I've hit that wall and am really not sure about how to break the curse of this wall.
I have five lectures to get through today if I want to finish my prep course on time - and spend my last two weeks practicing essays and exams ... and while I know that my entire future depends on passing this exam, I just can't seem to break through that barrier. I sit here typing this while my bar prep books are all around me - the outlines on the floor and the bar notes on my desk, highlighters of all colors litter my desk and my workspace looks like that of an author attempting to get a proper ending to a novel with crinkled paper resting all over the floor from attempting to finish essays and MPTs.
I can only hope that my wall will start breaking down, and soon because this exam is looming and my preparations are not even close to being complete.
I am anxious and totally concerned about my ability to make it through this exam given my hitting the wall, but I just may surprise myself.
With a "Bones" marathon underway, the last four days spent doing nothing but watching "Bones," I realize that I've hit that wall and am really not sure about how to break the curse of this wall.
I have five lectures to get through today if I want to finish my prep course on time - and spend my last two weeks practicing essays and exams ... and while I know that my entire future depends on passing this exam, I just can't seem to break through that barrier. I sit here typing this while my bar prep books are all around me - the outlines on the floor and the bar notes on my desk, highlighters of all colors litter my desk and my workspace looks like that of an author attempting to get a proper ending to a novel with crinkled paper resting all over the floor from attempting to finish essays and MPTs.
I can only hope that my wall will start breaking down, and soon because this exam is looming and my preparations are not even close to being complete.
I am anxious and totally concerned about my ability to make it through this exam given my hitting the wall, but I just may surprise myself.
Thursday, July 1, 2010
Trying to play catch-up
Well, after finally getting back online and starting the process all over again, I found that I'd forgotten much of what I learned during the first four weeks. That week off for moving really was a doozie - if I had the chance to do it over again, I certainly would not have elected to move in the middle of bar preparation. Can't change that now ...
So, after starting back in on my lectures and reviewing the material I started taking my second set of quizzes. Oh my god - what a disaster. I went from an 85% in torts down to 54%. I went from a 79% in contracts to a 50%. Property and criminal law/procedure were the only ones that actually increased during the quiz. Albeit property didn't increase all that much, but still any little bit of improvement I will take over my epic failure in torts and contracts.
After getting caught up to the assignments before the midterm, I took the challenge of the midterm yesterday - oh wow, was that a mistake. For the midterm scoring around a 110 is what you are supposed to shoot for - and to not panic if you're not there ... well, I'm panicking at this point.
I have to review all that material from the midterm and do double duties all the rest of this week to get caught up. I have to do civ pro and conflict of laws today; agency, partnership and corporations tomorrow; and then commercial paper and secured transactions on Saturday. After getting through all of those lectures and all the homework associated with the lectures, I need to review the midterm, practice the essays and the MPT.
According to the program the work load is now going to pick up exponentially - not good news. The bar is in 26 days and I feel like I am extremely ill-prepared at this point in time. All I can do is stick my nose in the books and hope that my over-taxed brain is able to contain all of this information and use it efficiently for all the practice problems and exams I have yet to get through.
I am feeling extremely overwhelmed at this point and really wish I would've moved in May instead of waiting until last week. I'm behind, my stress level is through the roof and it has been uncharacteristically hot here making for even more miserable days. Let's hope I can make it through this.
So, after starting back in on my lectures and reviewing the material I started taking my second set of quizzes. Oh my god - what a disaster. I went from an 85% in torts down to 54%. I went from a 79% in contracts to a 50%. Property and criminal law/procedure were the only ones that actually increased during the quiz. Albeit property didn't increase all that much, but still any little bit of improvement I will take over my epic failure in torts and contracts.
After getting caught up to the assignments before the midterm, I took the challenge of the midterm yesterday - oh wow, was that a mistake. For the midterm scoring around a 110 is what you are supposed to shoot for - and to not panic if you're not there ... well, I'm panicking at this point.
I have to review all that material from the midterm and do double duties all the rest of this week to get caught up. I have to do civ pro and conflict of laws today; agency, partnership and corporations tomorrow; and then commercial paper and secured transactions on Saturday. After getting through all of those lectures and all the homework associated with the lectures, I need to review the midterm, practice the essays and the MPT.
According to the program the work load is now going to pick up exponentially - not good news. The bar is in 26 days and I feel like I am extremely ill-prepared at this point in time. All I can do is stick my nose in the books and hope that my over-taxed brain is able to contain all of this information and use it efficiently for all the practice problems and exams I have yet to get through.
I am feeling extremely overwhelmed at this point and really wish I would've moved in May instead of waiting until last week. I'm behind, my stress level is through the roof and it has been uncharacteristically hot here making for even more miserable days. Let's hope I can make it through this.
The Move and aftermath
Well, my Internet service was shut off on the 21st, and I proceeded to finish getting everything packed up - and this meant no bar review during this time. On Tuesday I did not review anything because I had to pick up my rental truck and load it up. Wednesday was the day I hit the road - and it was early when I hit the road. While I did take some books with me in the cab of the truck not once did I have the chance to look at them. When I wasn't driving I was beat and had a hard time staying awake let alone read bar material. After 29 hours on the road, which included a nap at a rest stop in Kansas, I made it on Thursday the 24th.
After arriving I spent the day unloading and the night trying to assemble and unpack so that when my internet service was back up on the 25th I could just pick up where I left off. Oh well, that was the plan.
My new service was up and running by 10am on Friday, but you know - I still had errands to run before I could get into studying - like getting groceries and basic essentials. I spent the remainder of the day carrying out these tasks, trips to the grocery store and Walmart to get what I needed and then after I got back to my apartment, I had to finish getting everything put into its place. Friday was gone before I knew it and not a single piece of bar review was touched.
On Saturday I figured I would be able to start up and get caught up, but this simply wasn't the case. On Saturday, see now that I had cable and hadn't watched tv in over three years, my weekend was caught up in a rash of tv. Bad news, bad choice, but you know what I felt better after relaxing for the weekend.
On Monday the 28th I finally started back in on the bar review. I finished up my con law lectures but still had a ton of review work that I had to get done before I could take the midterm. I was having a hard time trying to get my brain wrapped back around the material and the lectures weren't helping me out one bit. I started working on the material and found that I'd forgotten most of what I'd been studying for the past four weeks. Oh dear, this is not good news.
After arriving I spent the day unloading and the night trying to assemble and unpack so that when my internet service was back up on the 25th I could just pick up where I left off. Oh well, that was the plan.
My new service was up and running by 10am on Friday, but you know - I still had errands to run before I could get into studying - like getting groceries and basic essentials. I spent the remainder of the day carrying out these tasks, trips to the grocery store and Walmart to get what I needed and then after I got back to my apartment, I had to finish getting everything put into its place. Friday was gone before I knew it and not a single piece of bar review was touched.
On Saturday I figured I would be able to start up and get caught up, but this simply wasn't the case. On Saturday, see now that I had cable and hadn't watched tv in over three years, my weekend was caught up in a rash of tv. Bad news, bad choice, but you know what I felt better after relaxing for the weekend.
On Monday the 28th I finally started back in on the bar review. I finished up my con law lectures but still had a ton of review work that I had to get done before I could take the midterm. I was having a hard time trying to get my brain wrapped back around the material and the lectures weren't helping me out one bit. I started working on the material and found that I'd forgotten most of what I'd been studying for the past four weeks. Oh dear, this is not good news.
Monday, June 21, 2010
The Pre-Move
Well, I'm moving tomorrow and I'd hoped to be ahead of the game. My internet service is being turned off today, and I am not quite where I wanted to be in terms of studying. I have several quizzes that I need to do, sections to go back over and of course lectures to listen to. I am not going to be able to get through it all today, and that means I am going to be behind schedule when I sign off today. Not good. The anxiety level regarding this move has shot through the roof, even though I believe I have just about everything taken care of ... I know that I'm going to be behind, and looking at the schedule, I know I don't have enough "free" days to be able to catch up the way I should. Nervous, yes. Just how nervous? Ask me when I am back online.
I have to finish packing and moving things around so that when I get the truck tomorrow I can just load and go. No need to fuss around when I don't have to.
One thing is for certain - I am going to be bored out of my mind tonight after I disconnect my modem. There is only so much bar review can do for you when you're back is against the wall.
I have to finish packing and moving things around so that when I get the truck tomorrow I can just load and go. No need to fuss around when I don't have to.
One thing is for certain - I am going to be bored out of my mind tonight after I disconnect my modem. There is only so much bar review can do for you when you're back is against the wall.
Tuesday, June 15, 2010
There is only one place ...
There is only one place where Fargo, Pulp Fiction, Sponge Bob and Simpson-laden zombies would come up in conversation - you got it, criminal law preparation.
Apparently shooting zombies can be bad (even when it is Ned Flanders), Fargo is laced with conspiracies and felony-murder, Pulp Fiction is all about revenge and Sponge Bob can't break the law. On the other hand, Jack Bauer does nothing but break the law - daily and hourly - particularly with his torture techniques.
One thing is for certain - the criminal law subjects that come up can make for memorable fact patterns. The lecturer seems certain that this can be one of the best areas on the bar exam because there is a simple formula that works each and every time. It would have been nice if the lecturer could have actually relayed the information instead of dancing around it though. There is nothing more annoying than starting to say something, changing gears and never getting back to your original point ... that was all this lecturer seemed to do ... very frustrating.
Apparently shooting zombies can be bad (even when it is Ned Flanders), Fargo is laced with conspiracies and felony-murder, Pulp Fiction is all about revenge and Sponge Bob can't break the law. On the other hand, Jack Bauer does nothing but break the law - daily and hourly - particularly with his torture techniques.
One thing is for certain - the criminal law subjects that come up can make for memorable fact patterns. The lecturer seems certain that this can be one of the best areas on the bar exam because there is a simple formula that works each and every time. It would have been nice if the lecturer could have actually relayed the information instead of dancing around it though. There is nothing more annoying than starting to say something, changing gears and never getting back to your original point ... that was all this lecturer seemed to do ... very frustrating.
Sunday, June 13, 2010
On writing ... instead of typing
Well, today I went through and did my first MPT workshop and corresponding practices. Needless to say I wish I could change my application at this point in time to using a laptop instead of writing out the exam. Typing my answer for the MPT took me roughly a third of the time it took me to write it out by hand. If I end up running into a snag on exam day regarding either one of the MPT questions, I may have difficulty being able to put together a "complete" response to the question. My hand doesn't move as quickly as my fingers - and unfortunately on the MPT speed is going to be a factor in getting the assignment done right and legibly. My handwriting is bad enough as is, and putting a time factor into the equation might just make it nothing more than chicken scratch.
I think I am going to see if there is any chance of moving over to a laptop test instead of writing it out by hand. The essays haven't been that much of a problem but there is just so much information to get down to answer the MPT-type questions that I'm really worried about being able to finish.
Being able to write so that the grader can actually read it is my primary concern - and right now, I can't believe I'm saying this, but I wish I had a copy of windows on hand. If I had a copy of windows, I wouldn't even be worried about this - but unfortunately all exam-taking software isn't created equal.
I think I am going to see if there is any chance of moving over to a laptop test instead of writing it out by hand. The essays haven't been that much of a problem but there is just so much information to get down to answer the MPT-type questions that I'm really worried about being able to finish.
Being able to write so that the grader can actually read it is my primary concern - and right now, I can't believe I'm saying this, but I wish I had a copy of windows on hand. If I had a copy of windows, I wouldn't even be worried about this - but unfortunately all exam-taking software isn't created equal.
Thursday, June 10, 2010
Aye Goo
Well, when I got up on Monday fully intent on continuing my work on the bar exam I noticed that I was simply exhausted. I couldn't read more than a few lines without wondering what I'd just read. Bad sign.
The day got progressively worse and finally I gave up. This was the start of a slide off a cliff. I ended up in full day/night reversal, and today was the first day that I've been "kinda" back to normal. When I gave up to give my mind a break on Monday I started watching movies (Hulu was the culprit this time), and that ended up lasting until Tuesday morning. Granted, when I got up on Tuesday afternoon I felt great - refreshed and ready to go.
I made it through the last day of lectures, essays and quizzes for the second full subject in bar prep and I felt really good about myself. Granted, with the quiz on this subject matter, since I took the day off and didn't really review anything, my score really reflected my preparation. By the time I was done with all of this, it was already Wednesday morning (since I didn't actually start until Tuesday afternoon). I then proceeded to start with the next subject matter lectures ... I made it 40 minutes into the lecture before I had to stop and go to sleep.
Normally, even with night/day reversal (this is not the first time it has happened to me), I stay awake for my normal duration and when I need to switch back I just deprive myself of sleep to get back on track. For whatever reason, on Tuesday I couldn't stay awake for as long as I needed. I think I was only up for about 12 hours before I conked out again. Well, this conking out on Wednesday lasted until late Wednesday evening - and when I finally got up, all I could do was read for a short while before my mind felt like goo. It was time to get myself back on my normal sleeping schedule. I need myself to be alert and ready to go to make it through this material on a daily basis. You never know how taxing it actually is until you go through it.
Today I was back on track and managed to get through all three days of lectures for my third subject. I have to do the quizzes and essays tomorrow, but I feel like I actually did a good amount of work today. I understand the material and have done well on the practice questions. I do hope that this is the last time I end up with my reversal, because in hindsight, that really messes up my ability to work like this ... and I need to keep on point. My move is coming up in 10 days, and I have to get that week of material done ahead of time so that I don't fall behind while I am trekking across the country in a moving van.
Just to gripe a little bit - the darn videos in this particular subject matter were incredibly glitchy. I had to restart many times with each of them, and on the second video the last five minutes took more than 20 to get through because of the constant restarts. Very, very frustrating.
Tomorrow is another day, and let us please keep on track. The clock is ticking and July 27th will be here before I know it.
The day got progressively worse and finally I gave up. This was the start of a slide off a cliff. I ended up in full day/night reversal, and today was the first day that I've been "kinda" back to normal. When I gave up to give my mind a break on Monday I started watching movies (Hulu was the culprit this time), and that ended up lasting until Tuesday morning. Granted, when I got up on Tuesday afternoon I felt great - refreshed and ready to go.
I made it through the last day of lectures, essays and quizzes for the second full subject in bar prep and I felt really good about myself. Granted, with the quiz on this subject matter, since I took the day off and didn't really review anything, my score really reflected my preparation. By the time I was done with all of this, it was already Wednesday morning (since I didn't actually start until Tuesday afternoon). I then proceeded to start with the next subject matter lectures ... I made it 40 minutes into the lecture before I had to stop and go to sleep.
Normally, even with night/day reversal (this is not the first time it has happened to me), I stay awake for my normal duration and when I need to switch back I just deprive myself of sleep to get back on track. For whatever reason, on Tuesday I couldn't stay awake for as long as I needed. I think I was only up for about 12 hours before I conked out again. Well, this conking out on Wednesday lasted until late Wednesday evening - and when I finally got up, all I could do was read for a short while before my mind felt like goo. It was time to get myself back on my normal sleeping schedule. I need myself to be alert and ready to go to make it through this material on a daily basis. You never know how taxing it actually is until you go through it.
Today I was back on track and managed to get through all three days of lectures for my third subject. I have to do the quizzes and essays tomorrow, but I feel like I actually did a good amount of work today. I understand the material and have done well on the practice questions. I do hope that this is the last time I end up with my reversal, because in hindsight, that really messes up my ability to work like this ... and I need to keep on point. My move is coming up in 10 days, and I have to get that week of material done ahead of time so that I don't fall behind while I am trekking across the country in a moving van.
Just to gripe a little bit - the darn videos in this particular subject matter were incredibly glitchy. I had to restart many times with each of them, and on the second video the last five minutes took more than 20 to get through because of the constant restarts. Very, very frustrating.
Tomorrow is another day, and let us please keep on track. The clock is ticking and July 27th will be here before I know it.
Sunday, June 6, 2010
Now that one hurt just a little bit
It would seem that the parol evidence rule and UCC 2-201 continue to cause greater headaches than they ever managed during first year. Yesterday I started my contracts review for bar review, and after making it through formation and consideration I was feeling really good about contracts. I did quite well on the questions that came after the lecture and then that high came crashing down when I started to review my lecture notes for today's lecture on SOF and parol evidence.
I found myself re-reading the same passages over and over again and just simply moved on because my brain just wasn't getting it. It would seem that even after the lecture, apparently I am still not getting it. Considering how aptly these topics are tested on the bar, I have a lot of work to do to become comfortable with this particular aspect of contract law. On the plus side, at least the lectures are understandable and easier on the ears for this subject matter.
I am also finding that my ability to physically write has dwindled as my penmanship becomes increasingly illegible as the days count down to the bar. I have to write out my exam for various reasons, none of which I am pleased with. I hate having to write things out for other people to read because my penmanship is terrible. My reliance and speed on the keyboard have pretty much made writing obsolete in my world, and right now that is a very bad thing. Writing out cards to people takes a lot of effort on my part to make my notes legible. I write things for myself all the time because hey, if I can write it, I can read it. Some words may take double-takes to understand, my I can read my own writing 99% of the time.
My style also changes so often that it looks quite schizo. It's quite funny when I go back and read stories that I've written in years past. You can almost tell when the mood of the story changes because the style of writing changes along with it. Intense scene, intense writing - you get the picture. Sometimes I'm amazed that I can even read what I've written - especially when I'm in a hurry to get ideas down on paper. My mind is racing and my pen tries to follow, I emphasize that the pen TRIES to follow. Actual obedience, well, that's another story. At least some of the strokes look like they attempted to connect and form a word. Others are just there for kicks.
When I start to write, my hold changes depending on how my hands/fingers feel. For starters, I start writing with my pen firmly between my index and middle finger - with my middle finger near the tip of the pen. The allows me to write relatively straight with no slant to my text. When my finger tires, I slide the pen down so that it rests a little lower on my middle finger and this is where the slanting starts. If I move my notebook to the right, the writing severely slants to the right. If I slant my notebook to the left, my writing slants to the left - it's all a comfort thing. My hands start to cramp up after writing for about two hours, and given the bar exam is broken down into two segments with writing in excess of six hours for the day, I am concerned. I don't print because I can't do it fast enough and it becomes very, very sloppy. Lack of patience means I do not print unless absolutely necessary. Even when I take my time, my printing is atrocious. If you have the chance to use your laptop to take the bar exam - DO IT. Do not hesitate, do not pass go, do not collect $200, just DO IT. You will save your hand and your anxiety level will not include the constant thoughts of will they or won't they (be able to read my answers).
I envy people whose printing is absolutely neat, clear and simply beautiful. It always amazes me when I see people who do nothing but print. Printing takes more work and greater concentration than cursive. Each individual letter has to start and stop, whereas with cursive everything blends together. While I enjoy reading things in print, I love reading things written in cursive and I do wish I spent more time perfecting my style so that it was easier to read. I also know that when I really get into writing something, my mind tends to move through things faster than my hand can keep up and the result is the first part of the word showing up and actually resembling a word, but the end of it just kind of blends together - scribbles if you will. I would prefer to have my exam answers read by the bar readers instead of just bypassed, so it looks like my chicken scratch requires just as much work as understanding the parol evidence rule and UCC 2-201. Oh joy.
I found myself re-reading the same passages over and over again and just simply moved on because my brain just wasn't getting it. It would seem that even after the lecture, apparently I am still not getting it. Considering how aptly these topics are tested on the bar, I have a lot of work to do to become comfortable with this particular aspect of contract law. On the plus side, at least the lectures are understandable and easier on the ears for this subject matter.
I am also finding that my ability to physically write has dwindled as my penmanship becomes increasingly illegible as the days count down to the bar. I have to write out my exam for various reasons, none of which I am pleased with. I hate having to write things out for other people to read because my penmanship is terrible. My reliance and speed on the keyboard have pretty much made writing obsolete in my world, and right now that is a very bad thing. Writing out cards to people takes a lot of effort on my part to make my notes legible. I write things for myself all the time because hey, if I can write it, I can read it. Some words may take double-takes to understand, my I can read my own writing 99% of the time.
My style also changes so often that it looks quite schizo. It's quite funny when I go back and read stories that I've written in years past. You can almost tell when the mood of the story changes because the style of writing changes along with it. Intense scene, intense writing - you get the picture. Sometimes I'm amazed that I can even read what I've written - especially when I'm in a hurry to get ideas down on paper. My mind is racing and my pen tries to follow, I emphasize that the pen TRIES to follow. Actual obedience, well, that's another story. At least some of the strokes look like they attempted to connect and form a word. Others are just there for kicks.
When I start to write, my hold changes depending on how my hands/fingers feel. For starters, I start writing with my pen firmly between my index and middle finger - with my middle finger near the tip of the pen. The allows me to write relatively straight with no slant to my text. When my finger tires, I slide the pen down so that it rests a little lower on my middle finger and this is where the slanting starts. If I move my notebook to the right, the writing severely slants to the right. If I slant my notebook to the left, my writing slants to the left - it's all a comfort thing. My hands start to cramp up after writing for about two hours, and given the bar exam is broken down into two segments with writing in excess of six hours for the day, I am concerned. I don't print because I can't do it fast enough and it becomes very, very sloppy. Lack of patience means I do not print unless absolutely necessary. Even when I take my time, my printing is atrocious. If you have the chance to use your laptop to take the bar exam - DO IT. Do not hesitate, do not pass go, do not collect $200, just DO IT. You will save your hand and your anxiety level will not include the constant thoughts of will they or won't they (be able to read my answers).
I envy people whose printing is absolutely neat, clear and simply beautiful. It always amazes me when I see people who do nothing but print. Printing takes more work and greater concentration than cursive. Each individual letter has to start and stop, whereas with cursive everything blends together. While I enjoy reading things in print, I love reading things written in cursive and I do wish I spent more time perfecting my style so that it was easier to read. I also know that when I really get into writing something, my mind tends to move through things faster than my hand can keep up and the result is the first part of the word showing up and actually resembling a word, but the end of it just kind of blends together - scribbles if you will. I would prefer to have my exam answers read by the bar readers instead of just bypassed, so it looks like my chicken scratch requires just as much work as understanding the parol evidence rule and UCC 2-201. Oh joy.
Thursday, June 3, 2010
Productive? Maybe.
Today I wanted to start off on the high note of yesterday - and continue on my productivity streak. I was off to a rough start, from having trouble sleeping last night to having trouble waking this morning, the stars were aligned against me. It seemed like technology was also fighting against me today, my video lecture restarted or froze on six separate occasions, and started to try my patience. Mini-breaks became my friend today to stave off utter frustration. Eventually I got through it and had a pretty good feeling about the subject matter.
I do have to say though, I had to take several mini-breaks throughout the lecture today because my focus was feigning, and this was in addition to my frustration with the freezing lectures. I didn't get a chance to go out and walk over my lunch break because I started my lecture late today (a little too late to be able to take an hour off to go and walk while still finishing before dawn tomorrow). Eventually I made it through and started on the questions of the day. I thought I would do better on the questions today, those 33 lucky questions, but it turns out that wasn't the case - I actually did worse today than I have over the last two days on this subject. Frustrating. It was then time for the checkpoint quiz that I was so worried about yesterday. The checkpoint quizzes are just what they sound like - per subject to try and keep you on track and find your weak areas within that particular subject. Great study tool.
The checkpoint quiz went a lot better than I thought it would, and that left me in higher spirits ... that was until I got down to my homework for the night and the targeted study. Wow, wow, wow - that is a lot of work. Before getting to the second checkpoint quiz at a later time, I have a ton of review work to do. This review is not just going back over the outline, but also includes re-watching certain areas of the video and doing area specific quizzes. I do have to say though, I am very impressed at the tools I have available right now. It knows where my problem areas are at and it is throwing everything possible at me to get me to master those areas. Now, granted the time commitment for all of this targeted studying really is quite immense, but if it helps me pass the bar on the first try - I am all for spending hours doing this additional review.
If I can ever finish up with all of this review, I get to start on an entirely new subject matter tomorrow. Bring on the contracts and (at least for now) sayonara torts.
I do have to say though, I had to take several mini-breaks throughout the lecture today because my focus was feigning, and this was in addition to my frustration with the freezing lectures. I didn't get a chance to go out and walk over my lunch break because I started my lecture late today (a little too late to be able to take an hour off to go and walk while still finishing before dawn tomorrow). Eventually I made it through and started on the questions of the day. I thought I would do better on the questions today, those 33 lucky questions, but it turns out that wasn't the case - I actually did worse today than I have over the last two days on this subject. Frustrating. It was then time for the checkpoint quiz that I was so worried about yesterday. The checkpoint quizzes are just what they sound like - per subject to try and keep you on track and find your weak areas within that particular subject. Great study tool.
The checkpoint quiz went a lot better than I thought it would, and that left me in higher spirits ... that was until I got down to my homework for the night and the targeted study. Wow, wow, wow - that is a lot of work. Before getting to the second checkpoint quiz at a later time, I have a ton of review work to do. This review is not just going back over the outline, but also includes re-watching certain areas of the video and doing area specific quizzes. I do have to say though, I am very impressed at the tools I have available right now. It knows where my problem areas are at and it is throwing everything possible at me to get me to master those areas. Now, granted the time commitment for all of this targeted studying really is quite immense, but if it helps me pass the bar on the first try - I am all for spending hours doing this additional review.
If I can ever finish up with all of this review, I get to start on an entirely new subject matter tomorrow. Bring on the contracts and (at least for now) sayonara torts.
Wednesday, June 2, 2010
Actual productivity
Today was the first day that I have actually felt productive with respect to bar preparation. I spent a full 11 hours doing nothing but bar prep, from watching the four hour lecture with only my designated breaks, doing the practice questions, reviewing the material from the lecture and preparing for tomorrow. I have to say, I'm feeling rather good about today's work right about now - and the preparation and review definitely helped with the review questions. I spent my break between the morning and afternoon session going for a walk to help clear my head, and it really did the trick. By the time I got back for the afternoon session, I was ready to go and not dragging my feet like I have been over the last few days.
I do know that I need more days like today. I have to get ahead of the game to make up for the time I am going to lose when I move and if I can stay on track, I will be right where I need to be in order to make a smooth transition from here to there.
I do hope the material from today will remain and not ooze out of my ears while I sleep - I have a checkpoint quiz tomorrow (well, later today given the time right now) and I do hope I am able to actively retain some of this information. I've started reciting the mnemonics provided to remember the specific elements and that has helped quite dramatically. I do, however, have a concern regarding the essay portions for some subjects because it is just so much information. Maybe I will feel differently about it in a month - ask me again, and we shall see how much has changed about my fear of information overload.
I do know that I need more days like today. I have to get ahead of the game to make up for the time I am going to lose when I move and if I can stay on track, I will be right where I need to be in order to make a smooth transition from here to there.
I do hope the material from today will remain and not ooze out of my ears while I sleep - I have a checkpoint quiz tomorrow (well, later today given the time right now) and I do hope I am able to actively retain some of this information. I've started reciting the mnemonics provided to remember the specific elements and that has helped quite dramatically. I do, however, have a concern regarding the essay portions for some subjects because it is just so much information. Maybe I will feel differently about it in a month - ask me again, and we shall see how much has changed about my fear of information overload.
Distractions Part Deux
Well, the distractions from Saturday spilled over to Sunday and Monday. I rationalize it as taking a break for the holiday, but in reality I simply could not focus on the questions or the outlines to be productive at all. I went for walks, got a little sun in the process, but now have been able to get another good day of work under my belt.
I made it through the foundation course and started in on the actual general review. Let's just say the videos for the foundation course were far better than the videos for the general stuff ...
For starters, the professor that is doing the first subject of the general review speaks with kind of a lisp so it is difficult to understand him in the first place, but when he speaks quickly it becomes nearly impossible. The toggles that were so wonderful in the foundation course videos have now become sparse, an endangered species if you will, as they only show up for each new heading. That means you have a toggle for the main items of the course, but not the sub-topics. That makes it rather difficult to relocate your space when the video decides to flake out and freeze, or restart, and you have two hours of a topic in between toggles ... talk about trial and error to find your place once again. It would've really helped if the creators would've created toggles in the videos that matched up with the outlines so you could easily find your place again instead of aimlessly wasting time to do so.
On the plus side, the ability to pause the video is a nice feature because the professors talk way too fast to be able to write anything down and actually get what you are writing before they move on to the next topic on the list. I don't know what the live classes are like, and I have heard good things about the live lectures, but I have to imagine they move rather quickly through the material because let's face it - this is a TON of material.
Off to another day of general review ... how much of this is actually sticking in my head, well I guess only time will tell.
Oh, for the main distraction - here you go . . . the external HDD is put away, but I took a long walk yesterday and picked up True Blood season 2. I don't have TV, so I've relied on itunes for all my episodes and have been anxiously awaiting this DVD release. I talked with a friend who just started watching season 2, and since I needed yet another distraction I picked it up. Yesterday I watched the entire season from start to finish and now I am satisfied. Rest assured, I only watched the season AFTER I finished with my bar requirements for the day. I spent the first 7 hours of my day with the bar material, but after that - I spent the next 11 or so hours with the folks in Bon Temps. The distraction was worth it - now my focus isn't split wondering what happened with Bill and Sookie.
Onward bar soldiers.
I made it through the foundation course and started in on the actual general review. Let's just say the videos for the foundation course were far better than the videos for the general stuff ...
For starters, the professor that is doing the first subject of the general review speaks with kind of a lisp so it is difficult to understand him in the first place, but when he speaks quickly it becomes nearly impossible. The toggles that were so wonderful in the foundation course videos have now become sparse, an endangered species if you will, as they only show up for each new heading. That means you have a toggle for the main items of the course, but not the sub-topics. That makes it rather difficult to relocate your space when the video decides to flake out and freeze, or restart, and you have two hours of a topic in between toggles ... talk about trial and error to find your place once again. It would've really helped if the creators would've created toggles in the videos that matched up with the outlines so you could easily find your place again instead of aimlessly wasting time to do so.
On the plus side, the ability to pause the video is a nice feature because the professors talk way too fast to be able to write anything down and actually get what you are writing before they move on to the next topic on the list. I don't know what the live classes are like, and I have heard good things about the live lectures, but I have to imagine they move rather quickly through the material because let's face it - this is a TON of material.
Off to another day of general review ... how much of this is actually sticking in my head, well I guess only time will tell.
Oh, for the main distraction - here you go . . . the external HDD is put away, but I took a long walk yesterday and picked up True Blood season 2. I don't have TV, so I've relied on itunes for all my episodes and have been anxiously awaiting this DVD release. I talked with a friend who just started watching season 2, and since I needed yet another distraction I picked it up. Yesterday I watched the entire season from start to finish and now I am satisfied. Rest assured, I only watched the season AFTER I finished with my bar requirements for the day. I spent the first 7 hours of my day with the bar material, but after that - I spent the next 11 or so hours with the folks in Bon Temps. The distraction was worth it - now my focus isn't split wondering what happened with Bill and Sookie.
Onward bar soldiers.
Saturday, May 29, 2010
Distractions
Yesterday I found it rather difficult to focus on anything bar related. I started out at 6am reviewing my Con Law cards to get a grasp on the law once again so that I could easily move into my review questions. Turns out the move wasn't quite as easy as I thought. I went for a walk in the morning, before it became too hot outside, to clear my head and try to regain my focus. By the time I got back, the last thing on my mind was focusing on bar review questions.
I made it through 29 of my 50 questions, but wait for it, I did those 29 questions while being eternally distracted by past episodes of House. I found myself going from one episode to another, just skipping around and enjoying House. Now, understand that I have already watched all of these episodes before, but the distractions was just too great. I couldn't get myself back into my study groove and finally at 10pm I gave up and went to bed.
This morning I woke up at 6am rested and refreshed and ready to tackle some Con Law and Torts. I started working at my remaining questions and it took about 50 minutes to get through the remaining questions. I know have to listen to my lectures, but before I can get settled in for three hours of lectures, I need to remove my distractions.
I cannot afford to spend another day lolly-gagging around watching episodes of shows I have already watched or movies that I've already seen. It's hard enough with the collection of videos available on Hulu, I don't need my own library to get in the way. I am packing up my external HDD that has all those videos in an attempt to rid myself of the distraction and again refocus my attention on this increasingly important bar review. This online bar preparation is turning out to be harder on the old willpower than I originally thought . . . I'll let you know how it turns out.
I made it through 29 of my 50 questions, but wait for it, I did those 29 questions while being eternally distracted by past episodes of House. I found myself going from one episode to another, just skipping around and enjoying House. Now, understand that I have already watched all of these episodes before, but the distractions was just too great. I couldn't get myself back into my study groove and finally at 10pm I gave up and went to bed.
This morning I woke up at 6am rested and refreshed and ready to tackle some Con Law and Torts. I started working at my remaining questions and it took about 50 minutes to get through the remaining questions. I know have to listen to my lectures, but before I can get settled in for three hours of lectures, I need to remove my distractions.
I cannot afford to spend another day lolly-gagging around watching episodes of shows I have already watched or movies that I've already seen. It's hard enough with the collection of videos available on Hulu, I don't need my own library to get in the way. I am packing up my external HDD that has all those videos in an attempt to rid myself of the distraction and again refocus my attention on this increasingly important bar review. This online bar preparation is turning out to be harder on the old willpower than I originally thought . . . I'll let you know how it turns out.
Thursday, May 27, 2010
Important points that keep coming up ...
It would seem there are a few important points that keep rearing their ugly heads during the course of this review. For starters, it is important to keep in mind that law trumps fact every single time. It is also important to remember that reading comprehension is vastly important. When you get to a really long fact pattern, I have the urge to just blast through it and try to pick out the important pieces. WRONG answer. When I slow down and actually take the time to really read through the fact pattern, getting to the correct answer is a lot easier. First of all, when you really read the facts, you don't have to go back and re-read it when you get to the answers. With only 1.8 minutes per question, you really can't keep going back and re-reading everything you've just read. I have also found that even with 1.8 minutes per question, when the real property questions pop up - Diagram them - it will help you more than you know. When you are dealing with numerous parties, conveyances, mortgages and so on, it really helps to diagram things out ... particularly if you are a visual learner.
Another thing - so far I have done over 400 questions, and my success rate is roughly at 48%. There are some areas that I can recall from my classes, and there are others that are completely new to me. I am finding that the new areas are the ones where I am actually doing better because I am not confusing the exceptions with the general rules as aptly as I am with the older material. Those darn cases that stick out in your mind, yeah - you know which ones I'm talking about, they are a pain in the ass that continue to mess me up. The only thing that will help me is rote memorization. I have to know the law, and I have to know it cold.
Another thing - so far I have done over 400 questions, and my success rate is roughly at 48%. There are some areas that I can recall from my classes, and there are others that are completely new to me. I am finding that the new areas are the ones where I am actually doing better because I am not confusing the exceptions with the general rules as aptly as I am with the older material. Those darn cases that stick out in your mind, yeah - you know which ones I'm talking about, they are a pain in the ass that continue to mess me up. The only thing that will help me is rote memorization. I have to know the law, and I have to know it cold.
Glitches and glumps
Well, after a day spent watching online videos for various subjects I became overly frustrated at the glitches. For starters, the videos in and of themselves are quite nice. The toggle works quite well allowing you to skip ahead to wherever you left off, but the problem is this . . . at times, out of nowhere, the video will start buffering. Normal you would think - but instead of playing, it will restart at the darn beginning. Not exactly the buffering you come to expect with online videos. At first I thought it was just with one video, but this problem has cropped up with at least four different videos and subjects. Mind you, the toggle works great so when it restarts you can just skip back to the portion you were on, but really, is this what we have to deal with for bar preparation? Glitches in the products that we pay thousands of dollars to use for this exam?
On another bit of a rant regarding the online products, why or why do they have to be flash based? There are so many other technological alternatives out there that are actually better than flash, yet the companies stick with a product that can't be used on a lot of mobile devices ... so frustrating. I wish I could get in there and change the coding to make it non-flash. Oh well, maybe later years will have the ability to see a product come out that is not reliant on flash.
On another bit of a rant regarding the online products, why or why do they have to be flash based? There are so many other technological alternatives out there that are actually better than flash, yet the companies stick with a product that can't be used on a lot of mobile devices ... so frustrating. I wish I could get in there and change the coding to make it non-flash. Oh well, maybe later years will have the ability to see a product come out that is not reliant on flash.
Friday, May 21, 2010
Those lovely little nuanced points
Today I find myself not so subtly reminded of the nuanced points of the law. While going through practice problems and some online quizzes, I find myself second-guessing myself with certain problems while trying to recall details from the outlines.
Memorization is going to be the key to making it through this exam. If I can memorize the nuanced points of the law, I won't waste precious moments on those practice problems trying to remember if it is a public or private nuisance, or what is required for a private person in a defamation action.
I just have to remind myself that the time I am putting in to learn this stuff will be well worth it in the end when I pass this thing. People do actually pass this, right?
Memorization is going to be the key to making it through this exam. If I can memorize the nuanced points of the law, I won't waste precious moments on those practice problems trying to remember if it is a public or private nuisance, or what is required for a private person in a defamation action.
I just have to remind myself that the time I am putting in to learn this stuff will be well worth it in the end when I pass this thing. People do actually pass this, right?
Thursday, May 13, 2010
Beginning of the End
After receiving the materials and looking through them I realized just how daunting this process is going to be. People do this twice a year and pass, right? I've started with the foundational course, and that is the brief re-introduction to the six MBE topics ... Torts, Contracts, Evidence, ConLaw, Property and CrimLaw/CrimPro.
The first day of the foundational course started with Torts, and wow, I realize just how little I remember, and how much we failed to cover in the course. I really have to learn all of this stuff again? I've definitely got my work cut out for me on this.
I'm doing the online lectures for the course because I am moving in a few weeks, and it will definitely take every ounce of willpower I have to sit in front of my computer and listen to the lectures. Getting into the swing of things for studying, well, it has been a bit of a challenge. I was able to "snap into it" when it came time for finals, and this is far greater than any final I've ever taken ... yet the "snapping" isn't quite happening just yet. I really hope that I'm able to snap into my studying mode before too much time passes. I do have one thing to say though, this is going to be a very LONG summer.
The first day of the foundational course started with Torts, and wow, I realize just how little I remember, and how much we failed to cover in the course. I really have to learn all of this stuff again? I've definitely got my work cut out for me on this.
I'm doing the online lectures for the course because I am moving in a few weeks, and it will definitely take every ounce of willpower I have to sit in front of my computer and listen to the lectures. Getting into the swing of things for studying, well, it has been a bit of a challenge. I was able to "snap into it" when it came time for finals, and this is far greater than any final I've ever taken ... yet the "snapping" isn't quite happening just yet. I really hope that I'm able to snap into my studying mode before too much time passes. I do have one thing to say though, this is going to be a very LONG summer.
Friday, April 16, 2010
The setup
I will be taking the July 2010 bar exam. This will be a daily (hopefully) keepsake of what it takes to get ready for the bar using a commercial bar prep course and the trials and tribulations one must mentally go through to try and get ready for this lovely exam.
I've read through some blogs about the process, but they were never quite as insightful as I wanted; so, I am hoping this will provide that insight for anyone looking for it in the future.
I have to say, my materials have not arrived yet, but they will be here by the end of the month. I met with the commercial prep representative and got the basics for the materials getting sent - and holy crap, that is a TON of material. I have to say my stress level just started to creep up as soon as I started to realize everything that was required to adequately prepare for this potentially life-altering exam.
One thing is for certain, with a cross country move mid-stride, this will definitely be an interesting experience.
I've read through some blogs about the process, but they were never quite as insightful as I wanted; so, I am hoping this will provide that insight for anyone looking for it in the future.
I have to say, my materials have not arrived yet, but they will be here by the end of the month. I met with the commercial prep representative and got the basics for the materials getting sent - and holy crap, that is a TON of material. I have to say my stress level just started to creep up as soon as I started to realize everything that was required to adequately prepare for this potentially life-altering exam.
One thing is for certain, with a cross country move mid-stride, this will definitely be an interesting experience.
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